


Remember

by orphan_account



Category: Cinderella (2015)
Genre: Anniversary, Children, Death, F/M, father - Freeform, happiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-09
Updated: 2015-07-09
Packaged: 2018-04-08 10:31:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4301334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This time of year always caused Ella to grow silent, her smiles to weaken ever so slightly and she lost her energy only just so much that it was noticeable.         </p><p>She always remembered her mother fondly, took time to laugh and smile in recollection on the anniversary of her passing, but the anniversary of the day her father passed was different.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Remember

"Why are we here, Mama?" A small voice asked as Ella tightened her hold on her sons tiny hand, passing over the threshold of her old home and being washed over by memories. She didn't answer for a moment, overcome with reminiscing, and was only brought back to reality by her husbands presence at her side, their baby girl in his arms. 

"To remember." She murmured as tears stung her eyes, and she fought to control them in front of her children. They would grow distressed if she showed that she was upset, and they were so sensitive to her emotions. 

"Remember what?" Critter questioned, looking to his father now for answers. 

"Hush." Kit whispered softly, laying a hand on his sons head. Ella didn't want her children to walk on eggshells around her when something reminded her of her parents. Her parents would not have wanted that. Her parents would have wanted her to fill the halls with laughter, to keep the house they loved full of happiness and kindness. She had been successful in that, she and Kit had spent almost half of their first year of married life hidden away in the manse and now, when he could not come with her, she would take Critter and Aenor for a day or two. It had always been the happiest of times, until now. This time of year always caused Ella to grow silent, her smiles to weaken ever so slightly and she lost her energy only just so much that it was noticeable. 

She always remembered her mother fondly, took time to laugh and smile in recollection on the anniversary of her passing, but the day her father passed was different. The day her father died she had been cast out of the security family offered, driven into the arms of slavery, servitude and near starvation. That day had been full of despair, black and cold and sunless. Ella shuddered at the memory of such depressing thoughts, of the hopelessness that had consumed her. 

Kit knew, to an extent, what remembering her fathers death did to her. The difficulty was that Ella did not think of her father so much, she thought of Lady Tremaine and the cruelty she had endured by her hand. When Kit had found her, scars and bruises had littered her thin (though by no means frail) body and she knew that had angered him, and made him sorrier than he should have been. Now, when she looked at the silvery traces on her shoulders and up her arms, she only thought of how Kit took delight in kissing them, as if his love might make them fade away. The only true scar left was her fathers death, and she had come to face it. 

So she smiled. If she allowed her past to haunt her then her stepmother had one, even if she was exiled and thwarted. If she could not even celebrate her fathers life than she had one. She stiffled a laugh as an idea came to her, turning to Kit with a light in her eye. 

"Why don't you put Aenor to sleep and then you can help me find Critter." She suggested, kissing the top of her daughters head, the princess nestled safely in Kit's steady arms. 

"I'm here!" Critter frowned, confused with his mother. Ella kneeled so that her eyes were level with his, openly grinning. 

"Don't you want to play hide and seek?" She teased, nudging at his shoulder playfully. He light up at that, mouth widening as his expression changed to excitement. "I'll count and you hide." Before Ella reached her full height again, Critter was off and running. 

"I love you." Kit grinned adoringly, kissing her lightly on the lips before she reached the count of three. 

Ella didn't know how she knew where Critter was, but she remembered a golden haired little girl sprinting through the halls, as fast as her chubby legs could carry her, and desperately concealing herself behind a curtain in the parlour as a dark haired man followed. The servants had made themselves scarce after the royal family arrived, understanding that the manor was intended for private time together, but one had thought to pull the curtains aside to bring the afternoon light into the parlour, and Ella was grateful as she slid through the gap of the door a small person had left. He always forgot to close doors, like his father. 

She was moving silently over the wooden floor, but she was soon revealed by the approaching footsteps of her husband - drawing a gasp out of the curtains. 

"My love!" Ella greeted him loudly. "Have you not found him?" She really was a terrible actor, but Kit played along as she feigned ignorance of Critters hiding place. 

"No! Have you?" The curtain laughed and danced about, now showing two small feet before it touched the floor. 

"Tell me, My Love." She began. "Do drapes tend to giggle?" This brought more laughter from the curtains, and Kit laughed along to as they mirrored each others movements, reaching opposite sides of their sons hiding place.

"They're generally very obedient creatures, window hangings." Kit responded, nearing the target. "Usually content with just staying still and... hanging." There wasn't a better word for it. 

"I wonder, then, what on earth has amused them so much! Do you suppose there is a sprite hidden within the folds? A fae, perhaps?" 

"A Goblin, a hideous nasty goblin with green skin and big ears." He brainstormed, as Christopher snorted. "Or a mischievous little critter." The curtains squealed, and understanding his hiding place was discovered Critter made to escape, running with a thump into his father. He then hit the floor, crawling out from behind the fabric and directly into his mother's awaiting arms. 

"It's not fair!" The prince argued. "You had Papa to help you!"

"That I did." She allowed. "Papa can now help you to find me. He's quite the expert now, I assure you." He would look for her across the world and a half, even if he didn't have a shoe to help him. 

And as the little family played about the house, Ella could not help but feel that more eyes than just her Fairy Godmother's were watching over her that day. She could almost see his smile.


End file.
